Alexandria experienced multiple fires throughout its history, historian tells Rotary Club

The Burning of Alexandria in 1864 during the Civil War might be the most significant historical event known to area residents. But according to historian Michael Wynne, Alexandria burned many times.

“We've actually had a lot of fires in the 19th century and early 20th century,” Wynne told the Rotary Club of Alexandria, where he was a guest speaker. Wynne has written multiple books on the area's history that can be found on Amazon.

Wynne spoke about the 1864 fire but also about two other fires that occurred in 1848 and 1850 that he researched using articles from the Alexandria Republican newspaper and the Red River Republican newspaper.

According to an article he read from the Alexandria Republican newspaper, the 1848 fire started in a bakery on Front Street that belonged to O.W. Nalley, Esq.

Front Street used to be where the levee is now in downtown Alexandria, Wynne pointed out.

There was no “fireman’s organization,” the article stated. The night was windy, and, since most of the tenements were wooden, the fire spread rapidly.

“.....A most indefatigable effort was made to confine the devouring element to the square in which it originated,...” the Alexandria Republican article said.

“The City Square is right here,” Wynne said. The square was located where Alexandria Convention Hall is today and where the City of Alexandria Rotary holds its weekly luncheons.

Citizens formed a line from the Red River and passed buckets of water to fight the fire, the article continued. Then, it started to rain.

“....and just at the moment when everyone was in doubt whether or not the house would be saved, the floodgates of Heaven opened and a heavy shower of rain descended. The first few drops that fell filled every heart with a deep and profound sensation of joy and gratitude to God, and loud huzzas spontaneously bursted from the crowd—The fire was subdued…..” the Alexandria Republican article said.

Buildings lost included the bakery, houses, a coffee shop, two dry goods stores, a bank, jewelry store, a grocery store, a fruit shop and a post office.

"By this catastrophe, three squares, the fairest part of Alexandria, has been reduced to ashes,” the article says.

Two years later, in 1850, another catastrophic fire broke out, Wynne said.

According to another newspaper, the Red River Republican, the fire destroyed what was spared of the 1848 fire. It originated in one of the shanties on Third Street near the city square.

The article goes on to say: “... one occupied by a white woman. She is said to be an old devout witch and kept candles burning all night by which to make her incantations.”

According to the article, the fire could have been put out with a few buckets of water, but neighbors instead tried to save their own possessions, and the fire spread to consume the Washington Hotel.

The article states that with “renewed energy,” people set about to keep the fire from crossing the streets to the lower side of town and were able to save some buildings. But unfortunately, the fire crossed over the public square and “laid it level with the ground.”

The fire burned down the shanties, the Washington Hotel, houses, a livery stable, coffee shops, grocers, a jewelry store, an apothecary and dry goods stores.

“By the way, I had to leave a lot out of this article. But it listed all of the businesses in Alexandria in 1850,” Wynne said. “And you wouldn't think they would have not one, not two - they had three coffee houses downtown, and three saloons.”

“Truly this is a devastated town. In less than two years, it has been afflicted with two fires and an overflow (from the Red River). Previously, we could boast of it as one of the neatest and prettiest towns in the State, but now the better part of it is in ruins, and the rest of it cut up and ruined…” the article said.

Concerning the Burning of Alexandria of 1864, Wynne has been researching it for a number of years and published a book about it, "All Was Lost," available on Amazon.

Who was responsible for the burning in 1864?

“Was it the Union soldiers? Was it the Confederate soldiers? Was it Jayhawkers? Jayhawkers were Louisiana citizens who were loyal to the Union. We had a lot in Alexandria. Was it something else? Or was it just the dry conditions?,” Wynne said.

There is plenty of information regarding the Burning of Alexandria for lot of reasons.

“Newspaper articles, diary entries, affidavits from people who were going to sue the federal government for their property being destroyed,” he said.

Wynne said he believed there were five reasons Alexandria was burned in 1864. The first being that the Union soldiers stationed here under Gen. William T. Sherman experienced a “hard war” for three years and had been with Sherman when he burned a pathway through Georgia, so they had experience burning towns. Second was the humiliating defeat the Union suffered from inferior Confederate forces in Mansfield. The third was an uncalled for retreat by the Union at Pleasant Hill despite a victory. The fourth was a lack of a true command presence in Alexandria under Union commander Gen. Nathaniel Banks.

“Banks was not a good commander. He was a politician,” Wynne said. This resulted in an “ill-tempered, ill-disciplined band of soldiers with larceny in their minds and arson in their hearts.”

“And five, Gen. A.J. Smith allowing, if not encouraging, the fire,” Wynne said.

While the fire was raging, Wynne said Brig. Gen. Smith was seen riding through the town, sword in hand, exclaiming, "Hurrah, boys, this looks like fun!"

“This fire was definitely considered to be the most senseless act of incendiarism Louisiana has ever seen, and it occurred during the Civil War,” Wynne said.

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Alexandria experienced multiple fires throughout history: Historian